Prospect Talent Score

Probability of Success

History

2007-08: Ben Sexton began his junior hockey career with the Nepean Raiders (COJHL). In 48 games he scored 15 goals and as many assists. His 71 penalty minutes was a career-high for Sexton.

2008-09: This was Sexton’s second season with the Nepean Raiders (COJHL), a 38 game stretch that resulted in 14 goals and 35 points. His play this season got him a nod to the CJHL All-Star Third Team. Expect to see the forward with fellow Bruins prospect Nicholas Tremblay at Clarkson (ECAC) next season. Ben is the son of Florida Panthers Asst. GM Randy Sexton.

2009-2010: Instead of going right away to the ECAC, Sexton spent a season with the Penticton Vees of the BCHL where he scored 13 goals and 42 points in 50 games.

2010-11: Sexton was off to a good start in his freshman season at Clarkson (ECAC) before breaking his arm in a November game. He missed 22 games before returning for the last six games of the season for the Golden Knights (15-19-2), who finished tied for seventh in the 12-team ECAC Hockey league and were defeated by Harvard in the first round of the league playoffs. In 12 games, Sexton scored 5 goals with 3 assists and was +2 with 12 PMs.

2011-12: Sexton was the third-leading scorer for Clarkson as a sophomore despite missing 12 games with a head injury. An assistant captain for the Golden Knights, he scored 8 goals with 21 assists and was minus-four with 44 penalty minutes in 27 games. Clarkson finished seventh in ECAC Hockey and lost to Harvard in the first round of the league tournament.

2012-13: Sexton was a team captain and the Golden Knights’ second-leading scorer in his junior season at Clarkson. Sexton once again battled through injuries, skating in 28 of 36 games, and received the team’s Ironman Award for his toughness. He scored 5 goals with 15 assists and was -4; finishing second on the Golden Knights with 70 penalty minutes. Clarkson finished tied with Cornell for ninth in ECAC Hockey and was swept by Brown in a first round playoff series.

2013-14: Sexton signed a three-year entry-level contract with Boston in March 2014 and made his pro hockey debut with Bruins’ AHL affiliate Providence following his senior season at Clarkson. He scored 1 goal with 1 assist and was -4 with 9 penalties in nine AHL regular season games. Providence finished third in the Atlantic Division and reached the second round in the playoffs. Sexton did not play in any playoff games. Sexton was the second-leading scorer for Clarkson and led the Golden Knights with 88 penalty minutes. He scored 6 goals with 22 assists and was +5 in 35 games. Clarkson finished tied with Yale for fifth-place in ECAC Hockey; sweeping Princeton in a first round series before losing 1-0 in overtime in the decisive third game of their quarterfinal series against Cornell.

2014-15: Sexton attended his first NHL training camp with the Bruins before being assigned to AHL affiliate Providence. He suffered an ankle injury in a pre-season game against Springfield and did not make his season debut with the P-Bruins until January 2015. In 35 regular season games he scored 3 goals with 9 assists and was +6 with 57 penalty minutes. Providence finished second in the Atlantic Division and faced Hartford in a first-round playoff series. Saxton was -1 with no points and 2 penalty minutes in five playoff games.

Talent Analysis

Sexton has excellent speed, decent offensive skills, and can set plays up as well as finish. He shows good hustle and defensive diligence. Despite lacking the prototypical size of a power forward he is willing to battle in tight spaces and will stick up for teammates.

Future

Sexton has been snake bitten with injuries in in 2015-16 in his second pro season. A hand injury during training camp required surgery and after joining the AHL's Providence Bruins he suffered a wrist injury that required surgery in November. Sexton projects as a lower line, two-way forward who can provide supplementary scoring and toughness.

Photo: Quinnipiac University forward and Edmonton Oilers prospect Kellen Jones will be one of the main cogs in the Bobcats’ offensive attack in 2013-14 (courtesy of Jeanine Leech/Icon SMI)

The ECAC is one of two NCAA conferences that remain intact this season. And there are no changes to the membership in the foreseeable future.

In the first of two parts, Hockey’s Future takes a closer look at the six non-Ivy League programs in the ECAC that will feature 11 NHL prospects spread among five of the teams. Quinnipiac leads all non-Ivies with five, followed by Clarkson with three. St. Lawrence is the only non-Ivy league program without an NHL prospect on their roster this season.

The Boston Bruins do not boast a large amount of prospects playing in Europe or college hockey, but there are some in the group that might be able to make a difference for the organization at some point in the near future.

Photo: Northeastern University forward Cody Ferriero is one of several San Jose Sharks prospects to have a strong showing in the month of January (courtesy of Michael Tureski/Icon SMI)

The opening month of the 2013 calendar saw many fantastic performances from around college hockey. Hockey’s Future takes a look back at some of the month’s highlights (and lowlights). Unless otherwise noted, all stats are current as of Jan. 31st.

Photo: Winger Jared Knight has made his professional debut this season, playing for the Providence Bruins of the AHL. (Michael Tureski/Icon SMI)

Outside of Tyler Seguin, the Boston Bruins have not had much to show for their efforts at the draft table under General Manager Peter Chiarelli. Jordan Caron is the only other player drafted by Chiarelli with more than a dozen NHL games played, and even he has not cemented himself a place in Boston's lineup yet. However there is reason for optimism, defenseman Dougie Hamilton is one of the best prospects in the world and the Bruins have one of the deepest and most talented stable of goaltending prospects in the NHL.

Photo: Clarkson University captain and Boston Bruins prospect Ben Sexton hopes to stay healthy for the first time during his college career (courtesy of Clarkson University Athletics)

Many players that miss an extended amount of time due to injury may lose touch with their teammates inside the locker room. It can be hard for a player to step into a leadership role when he has spent nearly as much time on the ice as he has off.